New Year, New CRM: Your Guide To Choosing The Right CRM

By the end of 2022, CRM technology is projected to be the single largest area of revenue within enterprise software.

A bold statement to kick things off with, I know. But the CRM trends in the last few years make things very clear: CRM systems are becoming a fundamental part of any business. Within just a couple of years, we have seen huge advancements in the sophistication level of CRMs.

From 3^rd party software integration, social CRM, to AI technology and voice recognition systems, CRM systems have had quite the makeover since their inception.

So, with so many recent advancements and with over 200 CRM systems to choose from, how do you choose the right CRM for your building product business?

We couldn’t possibly give you a pros and cons of each system out there. Instead, here are some key questions you should ask yourself, in order to identify your businesses needs and whittle down the best CRM system for you.

Is The CRM System A Good Fit For Construction Marketing?

Construction marketing differs from other B2B cycles in many ways, not least of which is the challenge of managing many relationships co-existing on one single project.

Some CRM’s are designed around the classic one-to-one relationship between buyer and seller, with little regard for additional persons such as specifiers, contractors and clients who all directly influence the deal/sales opportunity you are vying to win.

Being able to integrate multiple people into a deal on your CRM system is, therefore, a must and unfortunately, we have seen first-hand that some unrefined systems don’t cater to this.

Can You Afford This CRM?

CRM systems have a bad rap for costing businesses mammoth figures with little-to-no payoff. The truth is like anything, there are worthwhile investments and investments you’ll regret.

The main goal here is ROI, so keep this in mind when choosing a CRM system. The value will come from the revenue your system can help generate, not in the pounds you save on its original cost.

You may be tempted to test out the array of free CRM’s, but the hidden fees down the line and locked features behind a paywall will soon make you realise that nothing is truly ‘free’.

Low-cost systems like HubSpot exist, that not only compete with bigger CRMs in cost, but in the complexity of the features, they have on offer.

When choosing a CRM, consider the cost of installation and initial rollout, as these initial sums can catch some businesses off-guard. Cloud storage options come with monthly fees, but physical on-premise data storage systems may demand server upgrades or incur additional costs in enterprise software.

Choosing an affordable CRM for your building product business will be the best way to ensure a solid ROI. Remember, going with a lower-cost CRM system doesn’t necessarily mean you have to compromise on the quality or complexity of available features.

What Are The CRM’s Capabilities?

Perhaps the most important question to ask yourself is; what can this CRM system do? Most CRMs will be able to help your business work smarter and more efficiently.

At their heart, CRMs allow you to automate your construction marketing efforts, eliminate repetitive admin and manage your leads, sales and customer data.

The key things to identify here are the marketing capabilities of your prospective CRM system. Consider the many facets of your construction marketing and content marketing strategies and you’ll quickly see why a system that integrates and manages all of these areas is appealing.

Some key marketing features to look out for in your CRM system are:

• Blogging / Content Management System
• Email Marketing Capabilities
• Landing Page Builder
• eCommerce Capabilities
• ROI Reporting
• Lead Nurturing / Drip Marketing Campaigns
• Dynamic Website Content Capabilities
• A/B Split Testing
• Pay Per Click
• Market Research/Surveys
• Keyword Research / SEO Functions

You may already have multiple solutions that manage individual features in this list. By finding a CRM that integrates all of them into one space, under one subscription, you’re not only simplifying your business but saving on costs too.

Take your time researching how or even if your CRMs deliver each of these features and don’t be afraid to ask for demonstrations before committing to a CRM system. You don’t want to pay for something you can’t make use of because it’s too complicated down the line.

How Can This CRM Grow Your Business?

Finally, consider how each CRM can help grow your business and achieve your ROI goals. Whilst pages of data may be useful to some, clearly laid out information and reports allow a business to see how your business is performing.

Look for built-in reporting features or dashboards that link online interactions, with a contact to revenue, giving you insight into which campaigns, strategies and activities are delivering you leads.

Fully functional dashboards will bring your businesses data to life allowing you to feed this information back into future campaigns, ascertain reliable ROI figures and see how your market is engaging with you.

About Insynth

At Insynth, we deliver a predictable flow of leads, customers, and specifications for building product brands through our inbound marketing approach, proven to reach a technically demanding audience.

We use the latest marketing techniques, such as inbound construction marketing, to equip building product companies to grow sustainability in this era of digital transformation.

As the only HubSpot certified agency to major in construction marketing, we have a proven formula of bringing a variety of functionalities together, including CRM Implementation, Web Design, Sales Automation, SEO, and Email Marketing to achieve your ultimate aim: Growing your business and gaining new specifiers and customers.

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